Do you want to become a better dentist? Whether this is to further your career, stand out from the crowd or simply provide a better service for your patients, there are lots of different ways that you can find greater success with your career. Wanting to improve is the sign of a good dentist, and the great ones are the ones constantly trying to improve even if they are exceling in their career. So, if you are looking to become a better dentist, then read on for a few ideas on how you can go about doing this.

• Ask for Feedback

The most effective strategy is to ask for feedback from your patients. This can be confronting and challenging to do, but ultimately this is the best way to learn about your strengths and weaknesses so that you can find ways you can improve.

• Improve Your Communication Skills

A great dentist will, of course, be highly skilled in dentistry, but they must also be able to connect with their patients. Being able to clearly communicate and develop a connection with people of all ages and backgrounds is vital to success. Keep in mind that many people get nervous about going to the dentist so you need to be able to connect with these people and reassure them. Additionally, you need to be able to be honest with people and retain professionalism at all times.

• Invest in Better Supplies

It is important that you have high-quality dental supplies so that you can carry out your work efficiently and with confidence each day. This means that you need to find the best dental supply companies so that you can stock up on the top items and improve the level of care that you can provide for patients.

• Continue to Learn

There is always more that you can learn as a dentist, whether you are earning a new qualification in a different area, or simply learning about a new cleaning technique. You need to have a passion for the subject and always be curious if you are to improve as a dentist and advance your career.

• Develop Business Sense

Providing dental care for your patients is just one aspect of being a dentist as you must also have good business sense. Whether you own a dental practice, or you are part of a dental group practice, you must know how to run a successful company if you are to improve. This will include hiring and managing staff, tracking expenses, marketing the dental practice and all other business aspects.

Hopefully these tips will help you to become a better dentist and help you to find greater success with your career. There are always ways someone can improve as a dentist, and the key is to work out what your weaknesses are and to work on these areas until they become strengths. This should help you to find success whether you are just starting your career, or looking to take the next step.

Facing the Changes

Throughout adolescence, teenagers experience major shifts not only with their bodies but in all facets of their life: for many, this can be both a daunting and frightening experience. Teenagers can often lack an understanding about why their bodies are developing and for others, they might struggle to deal with the overwhelming changes.

When children, teenagers and adults alike all have a sense of stability and security within their lives, it can be easier to face new challenges; however, teenage years consist of self-discovery, doubt, and a strong desire to fit-in. For many, these years can be a real test of self-esteem and strength of character; plus, with the constant bombardment of the ideal body shapes and sizes that are advertised on social media, even the most confident are highly vulnerable to falling into this distorted reality of trying to reach an unattainable perfection.

Undoubtedly, there can be a lot of peer pressure for teenagers to follow certain fashions and trends and many of the clothes lines can often flaunt and emphasise certain body parts. It can be easy for teenagers to make comparisons between themselves and their peers and shift all of their attention and self-worth onto how they look.

Understanding Underlying Issues

There are an abundance of ways that teenagers can be encouraged to embrace who they are and what they are capable of beyond their physical appearance. By recognising and drawing attention to their skills and talents, this can help teenagers to create the fundamental separation between who they are as a person and what they have to offer besides from their body and physical appearance. Getting teenagers to practice self-love and appreciation can also be a strong way to focus on other positive aspects of their lives and this can also be done through creative outlets such as writing, drawing, and painting.

Importantly, body image issues are prevalent across all genders. Often, when there are underlying issues, attempting to control body image can be a strategy to deal with unwanted feelings and emotions. These issues can be channeled by monitoring food intake, counting calories and over-exercising as a means to control whatever they cannot deal with. By encouraging teenagers to open-up and discuss their thoughts and feelings or any issues that they could be contending with, this can teach them healthy and rewarding coping mechanisms.

On some occasions, the strategies to try and help teenagers to deal with the changes throughout their lives and with their bodies might not be enough. Body issues can transpire into both exercise addictions and even life-threatening eating disorders such as Anorexia or Bulimia nervosa. Changes in behavioral patterns and a withdrawal from things that they once enjoyed can be key indicators of these disorders and it is important that the correct help is sought. With highly qualified staff that are experienced within this field, services such as igniteteentreatment.com can offer the requisite advice, guidance and support to both teenagers and their families to start a positive and rewarding recovery journey.

Stepping out of nursing school as a newly graduated, registered nurse can be an exciting and often emotional experience. After years of studying, living on a tight budget, and racking up hours of work experience, you have finally made it into the world of full-time nursing. But, your journey as a nurse doesn’t have to stop here, and for many successful nurses, it’s a journey that never stops. So, now that you’ve graduated from nursing school, you might be thinking about the potential next steps you will make. We’ve listed a few of our top suggestions here.

#1. Get Your Master’s Degree

Although nurses are in higher demand than ever before in the U.S., getting your master’s degree in nursing can help you to take your career to the next level as quickly as possible. Master’s degrees in nursing will usually take around 1-2 years to complete, although you may be able to graduate earlier or later with a flexible online program. A master’s degree in nursing will make it easier for you to find better-paid nursing jobs with higher responsibility, and you’ll be in a better position for career progression and future study too. And, it’s easier than ever to achieve one whilst you are working as a nurse. Your employer may be able to help with funding further education for you, or there are several online or part-time programs that allow you the flexibility that you need to keep up with your career.

#2. Find Your Area of Specialization

Nursing covers a very broad range, with a wide selection of careers available all falling under the nursing umbrella. So, it’s often essential to focus your efforts on one area of specialization, for example, becoming a family nurse practitioner, or maybe working as a nurse anesthetist. If you’re unsure about the area of nursing that you’d like to get into, then spend some time working as a nurse first. Try to get as much experience as you can in varying departments so that you have a better feel for the roles that you click with and enjoy the most. Then, find a study program that works well for you, such as this family nursing program online.

#3. Try Teaching

If you are passionate about nursing and want to make a difference to the next generation of nurses and those to come, teaching nursing students could be the perfect career path for you. Many registered nurses go on to study for a master’s and a doctorate in nursing whilst working full-time thanks to online, remote, and part-time study options that are available for almost all nursing programs today. With the U.S. currently experiencing a severe nursing shortage that’s only expected to get worse due to the aging population, good professors to teach nursing in schools and colleges across the country have never been more greatly needed.

#4. Look Into Management Options:

If you have strong leadership skills and enjoy leading a team, then pursuing a management career in nursing could be a great choice for you. Senior nurses are required in every area of healthcare to lead teams of nurses, delegate tasks, mentor students and ensure that all patients are receiving the highest standards of care. Whilst there are several study options that you may want to consider in order to boost your chances of landing a managerial position, bear in mind that this isn’t always necessary – many senior nurses work their way up the ranks as they gain experience on the job.

#5. Try Something Different

If you have completed your nursing degree and have realized that working hands-on with patients isn’t for you, there’s no need to worry as your work so far has not been in vain. With a nursing degree, you will have gained a lot of knowledge and experience that can be put into practice in a range of industries, for example, in laboratory jobs or perhaps in non-clinical settings. You might also want to consider jobs working with patients in a different setting, for example, as a therapist. So, why not explore various master’s degree options in the different subject areas that you are interested in working in to see if anything suits you better.

After graduating from nursing school, you have a wealth of opportunities available to you! Whether you decide to study further, focus on a specific area of nursing or qualify to teach nursing to others, these are just some ideas for after you qualify.

The healthcare industry is one of the largest and arguably most important industries that there is out there. Health is a broad definition with a range of factors and encompasses various professions and careers. If you’ve been playing around with the idea of pursuing a career in health, then you should continue reading to find out how you can go about it.

Do Your Research

To start with, if you want to pursue a career in health, it’s always advisable that you first do an adequate amount of research. If you’re wondering what kind of research you need to do, think deeply about the health sector and where you fit in. See the many roles there are out there and what it’s like in the day of the life of each prospective profession. Doing this should give you an idea regarding whether or not the healthcare industry is truly one that you can see yourself in. After doing your research, you should create a list of potential careers and then begin shortlisting from there.

Volunteer

The next thing you could do is volunteer in the shortlisted careers that you’ve chosen. This is so important as it will give you practical experience in the niche areas you’ve considered. The reality of a job can be very different than it appears on paper, so you want to know that it’s truly a job you love. In order to find a voluntary position, you can call an organization that you’re interested in to ask about opportunities or check online. Aside from helping give you clarity, some benefits of becoming a healthcare volunteer are that you can learn new skills as well as meet new people.

Decide on a Niche

It is crucial that you decide on your niche area as early on as possible so that you know what career path to take. As mentioned earlier, the healthcare sector is robust, so you want to be sure you take the shortest route possible to the career of your choice. With that being said here are a few prospective healthcare careers you could consider.

Family Nurse Practitioner: There are different types of nurses out there, and one of the senior level positions is a nurse practitioner. If you want to help families and take on more responsibilities, then this is an ideal role. To become a family nurse practitioner, you need a bachelor of science in nursing or a related degree. You’d then need to become a registered nurse and get related experience before pursuing a graduate degree. There are affordable online nurse practitioner programs that you could consider so you could pursue higher education while working.

Occupational Therapist: If you want to teach people skills that could help make their heath better, consider becoming an occupational therapist. A day in the life of one could look like helping patients relearn core skills such as eating, cooking or having a bath. You’d be working with a range of different patients treating ones with physical, emotional, or developmental challenges. In terms of how much you’ll be making as an occupational therapist, you could earn anywhere from $80,000 annually upwards.

Physician: This is one of the higher-level careers in the healthcare field and also one that requires extensive education and training as a result. The term physician encompasses a range of different types of healthcare professionals whether it be a gynecologist or cardiologist. If you want to position yourself as one of the highest paid physicians, then Florence, South Carolina or Atlanta, Georgia are great locations to practice in. If you’d rather do something a little less intense, perhaps become a physician assistant instead as it would be less demanding.

Physical Therapist: Aside from the mentioned careers, becoming a physical therapist is also an area to explore if you have an interest in fitness and helping people achieve their goals. The good thing about personal training is that it’s relatively flexible and you can work with a range of different clients. You could, for instance, decide to focus on athletes and help them recover from physical injuries. Ultimately, as a physical therapist you’d be helping to improve mobility and strength through physical movement. You should note that it can require intensive training and be physically demanding nevertheless.

Get the Right Education

Although briefly mentioned above, many roles in healthcare require a certain level of education. This is typically important because you’ll be dealing with the health and wellbeing others. To avoid preventable mistakes and permanent damage, you’ll likely need a science-related degree and then subsequent training as well. However, every career path is different so an optometrist would need different education and training than a pediatrician would. During your research phase, you should be able to discover what educational path, so you avoid wasting time taking courses that aren’t relevant to your destination.

Network in the Industry

When pursuing a career in health, you’ll need people to help you get to the height of your career, so make friends along your journey. Think about getting a mentor that can help guide you as well as encourage you when the going gets tough. If you want to find a career mentor, here is how you can go about it.

• Research: Reach out and find a career mentor, as they will not come to you but can provide you with the answers and help you may not realize you need. Find out who the leaders in your niche are and discover more about their backgrounds.
• Form a Relationship: Once you’ve made contact with prospective mentors it’s crucial that you focus on relationship building as opposed to just taking. Think about what value you can add to your mentor and how you can leave your mark in their life as well.
• Be Patient: One of the reasons you probably want a certain mentor is because they’ve attained a level of success. With that being said, successful people tend to be relatively busy, so be patient and persistent when trying to sustain your relationship.

Is Holistic Nursing the Future – Three Ways Holistic Nursing is Impacting the Healthcare Industry

Statistics show that as the baby boomers continue to age and require more intervention from the healthcare industry, nurses are becoming more and more in demand. From the time period of 2014 to 2024, the field is expected to grow by 16%, which is much faster than a lot of other industries. For those looking to get into the field, however, they may want to set their sights on holistic nursing, which is predicted to have a big impact on the healthcare industry as a whole moving forward.

Holistic nursing care is a unique approach to nursing and looks at the body as a whole rather than individual parts that may be ailing or injured. It’s a more individualized approach to nursing and takes into account a person’s physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and even environmental challenges and strengths. So how exactly is holistic nursing care impacting the healthcare industry? Let’s take a closer look.

Patient-Centered Care is Mandated

Back in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act was enacted, which plays into the whole goal of holistic care nursing. With holistic nursing, patients have much more input into their care and treatment plan, and that personalized approach is evident from the start. Not only are their immediate physical issues addressed, but everything else that is playing into their medical problems is also factored into the treatment. Patient-centered care has never been so evident.

Schools Are Offering Ways to Specialize in Holistic Nursing

Another key indicator that holistic nursing care is making its mark on the healthcare industry is the fact that schools such as Carson-Newman University are now offering programs that focus on holistic nursing as well as integrative health. This is evident with the school’s Online RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program.

Then there is the fact that the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) defines holistic care as “essential to baccalaureate education”. Holistic nursing is really carving out its own niche.

There Is a Cost-Savings Being Realized

There is also a money angle here. Healthcare is a massive industry and one that costs an absolute fortune to run. What people are beginning to see is that by engaging in holistic care nursing, and using preventative measures that these nurses outline for each patient, there is a real cost-savings to be had. If people can stay healthier, prevent diseases, and catch things before they balloon out of control, the costs suddenly become a whole lot more manageable.

The idea of self-care and preventative care was never a focus here in the United States, but over the past decade or so it has more than caught on – it has become the trend.

An Intriguing Field to Get Into

For those looking to break into the healthcare industry and get started in a dynamic and long-lasting career, holistic nursing is certainly proving to offer a lot of growth, promise, and advancements.

The Actual Results to Expect From the Best Quality Garcinia Cambogia Extracts

The before-and-after pictures of garcinia cambogia users are so impressive that they might lead you to consider whether they are too good to be real! However, if a picture is no less than a thousand words, then such images tend to speak volumes about their efficacy. While some brands share their success stories to convince you of their effectiveness, you have to be realistic about its expectations.

The Secret behind the Weight Loss Secret

Since the late 1960’s and the 1970’s,   researchers have been experimenting with the weight loss strategies of Garcinia Cambogia. As the results of some studies have revealed, the ‘secret’ lies within the rind or the skin of the fruit. They contain a certain biochemical element, hydroxycitric acid or HCA. It has an inhibitory upshot on ATP-citrate lyase, which is a very potent enzyme. HCA thus restricts the indigested carbohydrate from getting converted into body fat. Instead, it re-directs the same to meet your energy requirement. Many official websites like garciniacambogiareviewed.co direct can garcinia cambogia also goes a long way to restrict weight gain due to fat accumulation. Moreover, the chemicals present in the fruit helps in the discharge of fatty acids. It works particularly well for the fat layers that remain trapped in the ‘fat pool’ of your system.

On Buying a Product That Works

Despite the very positive reports that come around, some weight loss aspirants who tried the extract of this fruit opine that it has not worked well for them. Perhaps, you can blame it on the unrealistic expectations that consumers often build after seeing the success stories. No wonder that many users are left unhappy. What you need to understand is, garcinia cambogia is not going to work like a miracle. It is not going to gift you rapidly, and ‘visible’ results just after a week or two of its usage. Again, many product suppliers offer low-quality products. They are undoubtedly going to land you up with disappointing results. Ensure that the pills you buy have at least 50-60% HCA. Also, it necessary to see that the HCA salts come with a formula for stronger bioavailability. It would help to cut down on the dosage requirement.  You might want to look for a product that has potassium-based HCA salt, than that of their magnesium and calcium-based counterparts. Also, it makes sense to look for products that have lesser lactone content.

Real Results In A Month

You can see some positive effects of garcinia cambogia approximately after a month of its continuous usage. Authentic websites like garciniacambogiareviewed.co mention that those looking for visible results have to stick to the directions of its usage. Plus, when you include it in your weight loss program, you have to supplement your lifestyle with light, but frequent exercise, a lot of sleep and a healthy diet plan. Once you invest your time in these, you can feel impressive results. However, by the term ‘noticeable,’ you might not experience melting off those unwanted fats from your body. Instead, you can expect to suffer a healthy weight loss. You are likely to lose about 1-2 pound of body weight in a week.

Basic Tips For Maintaining Optimum Oral Health

Once you’ve lost your teeth, they’re not going to return. This is why it is absolutely pertinent to take adequate steps to keep your teeth and gums in good condition. Simultaneously, it is vital to realize that poor oral health can lead to a wide variety of problems and not all of them are solely related to the mouth. Poor oral health can result in gum disease, inflammation and problems for other portions of the body. Within this guide, you will discover basic tips for maintaining good oral health.

Brushing

Everyone should understand the importance of brushing their teeth. Failing to do so will greatly increase your risks of developing oral disease and cavities. Nevertheless, there is a major difference between brushing and brushing correctly. In fact, the number of people that brush their teeth incorrectly is surprisingly immense. First and foremost, it is vital to make sure that you brush at least two times a day. Your brushing sessions should last at least two minutes. Also, make sure that you brush gently. Brushing too hard can damage the teeth’s enamel.

Flossing

Most consumers do not take the time to floss. This will prove to be a costly mistake in the long run. Flossing helps to remove the food remnants that cannot be removed with brushing alone. It is generally a good idea to floss after you’ve eaten and after brushing your teeth. Flossing helps to eradicate plague and prevent tartar buildup. This is absolutely vital, since it is impossible to remove tartar without assistance from a dentist. If the problem escalates, you may wind up needing to visit a root canal specialist in Upper East Side, Manhattan to fix the problem.

Drinking Safely

Today, soda and energy drinks are more popular than ever before. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that they’re safe. In fact, drinking sugary soft drinks can prove to be a major problem in the future. They can lead to a wide range of problems and they can also negatively impact the teeth. This is true for all different types of soda, including regular and diet. Soda contains acid that can destroy the enamel. This eventually leads to cavities and even stains. It is in your best interest to eliminate soda from your daily intake. If this seems impossible, they should at least be limited. Switch to water instead.

Avoid Sweets

Soda is bad and sweets are as well. Eating candy every so often will not cause a problem, but eating in excess very well could. If you happen to consume too many sweets, you’ll give bacteria the opportunity to live and thrive in your mouth. This will also give the acids the ability to strip the enamel from your teeth. This can be complicated even more, if you fail to brush and floss as instructed by a dentist. Also, be cautious of sour candies. They’re delicious, but they contain a substantial amount of acid.

If you’re going to eat candy, make sure you do so moderately. Limit your candy consumption to maintain good oral health and bright, white teeth!

10 Trends to Watch in the World of Chiropractics in 2017

The chiropractic profession is a rapidly evolving one with changes being spurred on by advances in technology. Today, chiropractors are worrying about data security as much as they are about social media marketing. And then there are the changes in legislation. Obamacare brought about the use of electronic medical records that a chiropractor has to update.

And these are only two examples. The dynamic nature of the chiropractic industry means that to be a successful chiropractor, you must keep abreast of these changes. With that in mind, here are the trends to watch in the world of chiropractics in 2017.

1) Increased Brand Management

We live in a digital age where information about anything or anyone is readily available online. And as such, your online reputation matters, especially if you are a chiropractor or health professional. For unlike in the past, the modern patient is technology savvy and will first look you up online before enlisting your services.

In fact, according to a 2013 Software Advice report, 62 percent of all patients today do this. The report also revealed that online reviews sites, such as WebMD, ZocDoc, and Vitals, influence patients’ opinions about doctors the most. So, be attentive to what such sites are saying about you online be it positive or negative. In short, manage your online reputation.

2) Electronic Medical Records

Recent healthcare reforms, Obamacare in particular, have led to the adoption of the electronic medical record (EMR). These records gather more than a patient’s medical data but go a step further and compile a patient’s comprehensive medical history. Even better, EMRs improve service delivery by allowing medical providers to share patient data.

Yet despite the benefits of EMRs, chiropractors have a laid back attitude towards them. Many have busy schedules and tend to update their patient files only when they get around to doing it. Unfortunately, this “get around to it” attitude has many negative consequences. It can land you in trouble with auditors or insurers, or put you at risk of lawsuits and penalties.

3) Better Data Security

The adoption of EMRs in the health sector has brought to light a new problem – data security. Few chiropractors know about data security, let alone care about it. But unknown to them, they are the target of cyber criminals. In the past, criminals targeted only large corporations and businesses. Today, however, every computer user is at risk, especially the health professional.

In their daily work, health professionals use EMRs. The personal information contained in an EMR, such as names and social security numbers, is what the criminals are after. They are also after the credit card numbers contained in the billing records of a health practice.

Fortunately,  major clinics like CORE chiropractic are less at risk of an attack. Criminals regard smaller clinics as easy pickings because some take data security for granted. Of the 855 data breaches examined by a 2012 Data Breach Investigations Study, 607 affected small businesses. For this reason, chiropractors must place data security at the top of their information technology priorities.

4) More Marketing

Chiropractors are not known for marketing their services. Most are too busy to bother with marketing, and the few who try to do so lack the necessary skills to do it effectively. It is true that a few years back, you could operate a successful practice without ever having to market your services. And if you felt inclined to do some advertising, you relied on The Yellow Pages and other traditional forms of marketing.

But not anymore, for times have changed. Universities have entered the chiropractic field, making it more competitive than it has ever been. So, to survive the competition, you must do what you have never done before – aggressive marketing.

5) Website Creation

As mentioned above, chiropractors have had to learn how to market their services. And because a website is crucial to any marketing strategy, chiropractors have also had to learn how to create a website as well. Yes, they are still using The Yellow Pages but traditional forms of advertising are decreasing by 15 percent every year.

Websites and other digital forms of marketing are the future and chiropractors know that. As mentioned earlier, 62 percent of all medical patients do an online search when finding a doctor. Although this is true, the figure rises to 98 percent for chiropractic patients. Chiropractors are, after all, fewer in number than regular doctors and thus harder to find without doing a search.

After doing the search, patients find a link to a chiropractor’s website, which contains details about the services on offer. More importantly, it contains contact information, such as phone and email address. This means that without a website, your chiropractic practice is as good as non-existent.

6) Increased Social Media Presence

In the chiropractic business – and in any business for that matter, being on social media is just as important as having a website. And the numbers speak for themselves. According to Statista, 2.5 billion adults use social media today. By 2020, this number will rise to about 2.82 billion, says Statista. Facebook, the largest social network, had 1.94 billion active users in the first quarter of 2017.

These numbers speak of two things. One, of course, is that social media is popular. The platform allows users to not only reach out to others, but also to form relationships with them. Two, social media is the single largest marketplace on earth.

So, to make the most of the social networks, you must keep these two things in mind. Yes, you must use social media to promote your services. But if you are to impact patients and enlarge your client base, reach out to and cultivate relationships with your clients. Sending clients a simple social media message like “I will be late today” will go a long way to ensuring their loyalty.

7) A Shift to Crowdfunding and Angel Investing

After the 2008 global financial crisis, traditional lenders became reluctant to loan out money. Years later, they are still reluctant, bad news for any chiropractor wishing to expand his or her practice. In response to this demand for credit and much to the relief of chiropractors, non-traditional lenders rushed to fill the gap left by banks.

One such alternative lender is the crowdfunding system of lending. Here, you fund a project using contributions from many small online lenders. Another unconventional way of funding a venture is angel investing. But unlike crowdfunding with its many lenders, angel investing has only one affluent investor. However, the investor lends money in exchange for ownership equity.

8) The Impact of Wearable Smart Devices

Smart devices are changing health care as we know it, and the chiropractic field is not being left behind. Wearable devices, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, allow a chiropractor to track a patient’s vitals. In addition, these devices also track a patient’s daily habits. With this information, the chiropractor can better set a patient’s activity goals.

9) Seminars and Further Education

To keep up with the changes in the profession, chiropractors must attend seminars and interact with others in the industry. Investing your time in the acquisition of knowledge has an obvious advantage. Any new information you acquire helps you to run your practice better. But sometimes, seminars are not enough. You might feel the need to go back to school and increase your professional skills.

10) Incorporating Wellness Programs

Chiropractors today are incorporating wellness programs into their practice for many reasons. One is the increasing competition in the profession. Without diversifying into something else, in this case, wellness programs, you will have a harder time making a living from your chiropractic practice.

The second reason is the health benefit of wellness programs. A program such as high-intensity interval training, a cardiac exercise, helps chiropractic patients with heart ailments. Light therapy, on the other hand, uses cold lasers to reduce back and neck pain. Some programs like yoga relieve chiropractic pain and improve a patient’s flexibility.

The growth of the elderly population is the third reason. Most developed countries have an aging population that needs chiropractic care. For instance, seniors accounted for 13.3 percent of the total US population in 2013, according to the US Census Bureau. That is 41.4 million people.

The Bureau goes on to predict that this percentage will reach 20 percent in 2060, or about 92 million people. Furthermore, of the 92 million seniors, about 18 million will be more than 85 years old. With so many seniors in need of chiropractic care, chiropractors are shifting their focus to this demographic.

The fourth reason is as a result of another growing demographic – people with obesity. Take the United States, for example. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.5 percent of adults have obesity. And they are at risk of getting serious medical complications, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Being overweight also affects their spine and spinal alignment. When this happens, chiropractors make chiropractic adjustments to help relieve the patient’s pain and restore his or her mobility. In addition, some have specialized training in diet and nutrition, and can, therefore, advise their patients on how to lose weight.

Conclusion

Although the chiropractic profession evolves rapidly, the following trends are the ones to watch out for in 2017. For one, chiropractors will focus on their online reputations and on updating their patients EMRs. They will also be keen on improving data security, marketing their services, and creating websites.

Having a greater presence on social media will also be on their minds. There will also be a focus on crowdfunding, smart devices, and furthering their education. Finally, most will incorporate wellness programs into their chiropractic practices.

The Top Reasons for High Cost Prescription Medications

United States patients have been experiencing sticker shock as the costs for prescribed medications continue to rise. The issue continues to boil over hot flames after one pharmaceutical company after another announces price increases on medicines that are life-saving for many.

Medical groups have publicly blasted these companies, and even former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, has called out these companies for ‘price gouging’. Even with promises from CEOs to ‘look into the matter’, this issue is much larger than just one medication or one company.

Between 2008 and 2014, the median prices for many of the most commonly used prescription medications jumped over 120%. Companies have justified this increase citing drug shortages, competition and rising research costs.

Advocates for the price increases have stated that these drug costs actually help patients save money because they are able to avoid expensive hospitalization and complications. However, patients say that insurance plans that require them to pay a large co-pay have made more expensive drugs unaffordable. With the rollout of new drugs for conditions like Hepatitis and cancer, medication treatments for an entire year could cost over $100,000.

As a result, many patients are now turning to alternatives like online pharmacies to get the medications they need at prices they can afford. However, the question still remains, why are these drugs so expensive?

Extensive Patents

One reason for these soaring prices is that the patents drug makers get in the United States are much longer than the ones in other countries. This means that pharmaceutical companies do not have any competition for two decades from the time they are granted the patent. These patents are usually filed while the drug is still in its testing phase, and this means the clock starts ticking before the medication is available to the public.

No Price Regulations

Unlike other countries, the United States government does not offer any regulations on prescription medicine prices. Instead, pharmaceutical companies create wholesale prices. These prices are primarily based on the costs of competing drugs.

Little to No Competition

For the majority of prescription medications on the market, there is not a lot of competition. Less competition means that the sky is the limit for what many drug makers charge. Some previously sold generic drugs were not priced high enough for them to be profitable for drug makers, and they stopped selling them.

For other drugs that are used to treat very rare medical conditions, the cost of production is too much for many manufacturers. This means that the manufacturer that is still standing after the dust has settled will hold a monopoly over that particular market.

Less Generics Entering the Market

There are fewer genetic medications being produced. After the wave of patent expirations that occurred between 2011 and 2013, the percentage of popular drugs that have expiring patents has dramatically declined. This alone has been a major reason U.S. medication spending has increased.

So, what can patients do to fight against these rising costs? They can speak with their doctor about creating a plan to save money on their medications, ask for samples (which are free) or consider getting a discount prescription card.